Police Procedural

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A Police Procedural is concerned with an accurate representation of the day to day realities and procedures of the police. It's a very specific sub-genre of crime fiction. The Police Procedural is almost the antithesis of the Cop Show. The Police Procedural is characterized by the lack of emphasis on the character's personal lives and the increased focus on the nuts-and-bolts of law enforcement.

This term is also sometimes used specifically to describe the "Reverse Whodunnit" style of crime drama made famous by Columbo, despite the fact that most examples have very little to do with actual police procedure.

Note that the focus on "realistic" police work doesn't mean the show has to be set in "reality". A show looking at the day-to-day routine of the Space Police is still a procedural.

Both the Police Procedural and the Cop Show are sometimes called "Precinct Shows".

White Heat, despite being known mainly for James Cagney's manic performance ("Made it, Ma! Top of the world!"), with details on how undercover police go about gaining the trust of a villain, and details on how a vehicle tail is conducted.

Fire in the Sky: Although this film is an alien abduction story, the focus is not on the abduction but on the police investigation. This police procedural takes up about half of the film time.

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